CAF Confederation Cup: Rivers United ousted by Moroccan Club

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Nigerian club Rivers United have failed in their bid to qualify for the quarter-final stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.

The Port Harcourt-based side which needed a win in Rabat to stand any chance of pulling through, were defeated 2-1 by Moroccan side, FUS Rabat late Friday night.

Rivers United seemed to be on course for a shock win at the Stade du FUS (Hay Nahda, Rabat) when they got in front late in the first half.

Ifeanyi Nweke’s opportunistic cross into the FUS box was flapped at by goalkeeper, Aymane Majid and the loose ball fell towards the path of the poacher, Bolaji Sakin.

The big striker did the needful as he calmly took aim and curled the ball into the far corner to give the ‘Pride of Rivers’ a fortuitous first-half lead.

However, FUS Rabat got back on level terms as Youssef El Gnaoui tapped into an unguarded net from close range in the 52nd minute following good work by El Mehdi El Bassil after Bernard Ovoke unsuccessfully tried to dribble his way from the back.

The Moroccans struck the final nail into the Rivers United coffin with just two minutes remaining on the clock when Mohammed Fouzair converted a penalty after Festus Austine needlessly handled the ball in the box.

Rivers United finished bottom of Group A with six points from six matches while KCCA finished in third place with nine points after losing 0-4 in Tunis to the eventual table-toppers, Club Africain.

United and KCCA thus crash out of the competition at the group stage while the two North Africans march on.

No Nigerian team as ever won the CAF Confederation Cup in its present format and the quest to break that jinx has been extended yet for another season.

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